Head Injury in the Elderly: What Are the Outcomes of Neurosurgical Care?

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies show that an increasing proportion of those presenting with head trauma are elderly. This study details the outcomes of elderly patients with head trauma admitted to a regional United Kingdom neurosurgical unit.

METHODS: The notes and imaging were reviewed of all patients with head injury aged ≥75 years, admitted from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2010, including mortality data up to at least 2 years after discharge. Outcomes comprised death as an inpatient, by 30 days and 1 year after discharge; Glasgow Outcome Score; discharge Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score; recurrence; readmission; reoperation; and complication.

RESULTS: A total of 263 patients were admitted: 26 with acute subdural hematoma (ASDH); 175 with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH); and 46 with mixed subdural collections (ACSDH). Sixteen patients had other head injury diagnoses. Patients with ASDH had a significantly lower survival rate than did those with CSDH or ACSDH: the odds of inpatient death for patients with ASDH was 15.38 (vs. those with CSDH). For all subdural hematomas (SDHs), low American Society of Anesthesiologists score was an independent predictor of early death. Death at 1 year was predicted by head injury severity measured by admission GCS score (P = 0.028), long anesthetic (P = 0.002), and the presence of bilateral SDH (P = 0.002). Unfavorable Glasgow Outcome Scale score (1-3) was predicted by age greater than 85 years (P = 0.029); larger depth of subdural (P < 0.001); and presence of any complication (P = 0.003). Those aged greater than 90 years with presentation GCS score lower than 10 all had poor outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS: Most elderly patients admitted under neurosurgery after head injury have SDHs. Our results are better than many previously reported; however, the rate of death for those with ASDH is still high.